President’s Declaration on Public Health Emergency - Opioids

Statement by Cabinet Secretary Bill J. Crouch, West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR), regarding President Donald Trump’s Declaration of a Public Health Emergency:

“Governor Jim Justice and the West Virginia Legislature have worked diligently to ensure the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources has the support necessary to fight substance abuse. My hope was that the President’s declaration would’ve resulted in additional resources and an even better partnership with Washington to combat this devastating crisis. West Virginia has the highest rate of drug overdose deaths in the country (41.5 per 100,000 residents in 2015, age-adjusted) which is more than double the national average. We are losing a generation of West Virginians to drug abuse, and in some cases, two generations. The Department is working across its bureaus, Bureau for Behavioral Health and Health Facilities, Bureau for Medical Services, Bureau for Children and Families, and the Bureau for Public Health, to address this issue. Any additional resources that could be directed toward this fight are critically important in our efforts to slow the progression of a problem that is devastating so many families and communities in West Virginia.”